Edge of Silence
by DEad Soul Angel
Summary: -REWRITE EVENTUAL-
1. Prologue

A/N: This is my first fan fiction, I need all the feedback I can get but please be civil. There is no need to be a dick.

**23:00 Chantry Courtyard, Val Royeaux:**

Under the night sky, a courtyard of white stone, surrounded by marble statues of martyrs and saints, rests softly. The silence breaking, only for the sound of a lone broom, held by a lone figure, sweeping in irate silence. The young boy's onyx hair framed his annoyed face, his green eyes in a fuming squint scratched the stone he was to clean. The boy had lived here for most of his life, never knowing his parents. He, however, never ounce thought of learning who they were, or why they left him in the streets of Starkhaven to be found by a traveling Sister.

The young man, now in the center of the square, stopped and turned to look on the moon.

"Hey there what'cha looking at," said a young voice from behind.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, and 'what'cha' isn't a word," he replied with a slightly irritated tone. He turned to look at the new arrival and saw a young girl, with short auburn hair, and bright blue eyes.

"So? And that doesn't count as-" she paused for a brief period, "Your ears, their," she paused again, moving closer to him.

"What about them?" he asked.

"Their pointed, like an elf's, but their no longer than a human's?" she said, pointing at his ears.

"That's because I'm half-elf, one of my parents was an elf while the other one was human," he replied, obviously tired of the topic.

"Really?" she replied with wonderment.

He grumbled then turned his gaze from the newcomer.

"Say, what are you doing out so late?" she asked.

"Punishment," was his reply.

"What'd you do?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I yelled at a foreign dignitary, calling him a pompous ass, and then I… Threw one of the other orphans at him."

The young girl then busted out in hysterical laughter.

"What are laughing at?" he almost yelled, snapping his gaze back at her.

"You," the laughter continues for a second more, "well, anyway, I'm studying magic at the Circle."

"Didn't ask, and your upbeat attitude is annoying me," he replied.

She scrunched her face, "Hey, don't be so mean!"

"Whatever," he said looking away again, getting back to sweeping.

She giggles and smiles at him, then says, "I'm Anika, what's your name?"

He looks at his feet, then at her, "Ulrich."

"Nice to meet you, Ulri. I can already tell we're going to be great friends."


	2. Departure

**A/N: Alright second chapter. please review this is my first fanfiction so i need the criticism**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, Bioware does**

**Sarcasm: Cause I'm totally the guy who created it.**

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><p><strong>Val Royeaux: Seeker Headquarters<strong> – 2**8 years later**

Ulrich, clad in the dark armor of his faction, strode purposefully down the dimly lit hall. It had been eighteen years since the sulking half elf joined the Seekers, his attitude, however, had not changed. His onyx hair was now unkempt, with it ending in a triangle just above his collarbone, and two tresses of similar length framed the angry mask he always wore. He turned a corner and went through the door leading to a series of forks with one path to the right and more diverging paths further on. Next to a door on the left wall on the corridor was an eighteen year old girl with short, thick raven hair with two shoulder length tresses covering the ears. Bags formed under the girl's mix-matched eyes, one emerald the other blue, and her lids seemed heavy. It was obvious that she had spent most, if not all, the night in the archives she had just exited. Ulrich knew the young seeker had only joined less than a month ago, and still had not read vast collection of books, scrolls, and scraps of paper present in the library. Both wore the same onyx armor with the eye in the sunburst in the middle of the chest, but her armor was newer and better kept than his, which had all manner of dents and scratches from the various battles it had weathered. The only other difference was the fact that his armor sported pauldrons, to signify his position. The young seeker turned to him, and began to speak.

"Oh, fath- er… I mean, Seeker Ga'aza! I didn't expect to see you up so late. Or is it morning already?" she asked guiltily.

He chuckled and patted her head, "Father works just fine, Nyssa. You shouldn't over exert yourself, the archives arn't going anywhere; remember to sleep every now and again." She looked down to her left like a scorned child. He knew what she was looking for, and he really couldn't blame for trying so hard. Her mother had died shortly after her birth and he told her nothing about her, neither did he give his reasons for withholding the knowledge. She had learned over the years that her father wasn't going to give any answers so she had to find another way. Though he knew that the likelihood of finding any sort of tangible evidence was unlikely, he was careful to erase or alter any record that may tie them together, let alone any that proved she bore him a daughter. He never told anyone who her mother was either; whenever someone asked, he would divert the question, or just flat out ignore them. "Besides, I don't think they'd have anything leading to your mother."

She turned her gaze back to her father, "Not just her, I was also looking for your parents."

"There's no point looking for mine, you shouldn't pursue them further."

"But why? Don't you want to know who your mother and father are?"

"Elves aren't accepted by human society, half elves aren't even accepted by elfish society, it's likely that my elf parent was a prostitute, or was raped. Either way it isn't likely that either of them would want a half child," Ulrich said, as is dejected.

"But…" Nyssa began to respond, but couldn't find the words to counter her father's doubts. Just then a helmeted seeker ran breathlessly from down the hall. He stepped up to Ulrich and began to straighten himself out.

"What is it?" Ulrich inquired.

"The… Divine has a … task for you… fetch whomever … you wish to bring along," he took one final breathe in, "and meet her in the Chantry."

"Why not just send a memo to the seeker office? What's so important that she has to assign it personally? And why to me? Why not ask Cassandra if it's so important?" Ulrich asked, puzzled. He had a bad feeling that something terrible had happened for the past week, he was now wondering if the task the Divine had for him had tied to whatever event had caused his unease.

"She didn't say, only that she requests your presence at the Chantry," he replied, pointing his thumb over his shoulder toward the path he just came from.

"Very well," he said momentarily closing his eyes, "Nyssa." He started down the hall towards the front door to the Chantry, Nyssa followed behind.

**Val Royeaux: Chantry **

They found the religious leader on the third story balcony overlooking the courtyard. The courtyard was a vibrant place with various species of flowers and plants surrounding ponds and walkways of white stone. In the middle of the courtyard, stood an immense statue of Andraste, the chief saint of the faith. The Divine noticed the approach of the two Seekers, and immediately turned to face them.

"Your eminence," Ulrich said reverently, as he kneeled before the elderly woman, with his left arm on his left knee, and right made into a fist and planted on the ground, Nyssa followed suit.

The Divine raised her right hand in protest stating, "There's no need for that, both of you may rise." They both did as she said, and Ulrich clasped his hands behind his back, waiting patiently for the orders he came to receive. "Ulrich, you remember our discussion about the situation in Kirkwall?" Hearing this, Ulrich became certain what had caused his anxiety all week. He had 'informants' scattered throughout Thedas keeping him apprised of any possible threat to the Chantry. The only place he couldn't plant a source was the Qunari home island of Par Vollen, despite his best efforts. His Kirkwall mole told him that the treatment of mages by the templar was worse here than most anywhere else, and things just got worse when Viscount Dumar was killed. Ulrich insisted intervention; he had even brought the matter to the Divine herself, she had sent Leliana to Kirkwall but nothing had really been done. Ulrich was positive that something tragic had happened; the most likely scenario was that the mages had enough and rebelled. In response the Knight-Commander would declare the Right of Annulment, resulting in the death of hundreds. "A mage destroyed the Chantry and killed the Grand Cleric, Knight-Commander Meredith then invoked the Right of Annulment; the resulting conflict killed hundreds, including the First Enchanter and the Knight-Commander."

His scowl deepened, and his eyes flared, "I told everyone this was going to happen! Why was nothing done! We should have sent troops, Seekers even, to get things under control! We could've avoided this! We could have stopped the chaos before it began yet we did NOTHING! You did NOTHING!" he shouted furiously at the Divine, waving his arms as if to punish air. She stood silently through his tirade. _'I did nothing,'_ he thought, hanging his head, _'I should have gone regardless; if I had I might have been able to stop this.' _He clenched his fists as he raised his head, fire in his eyes, he would not be making that mistake again.

"Steps must be taken, measures put in place to prevent this from occurring throughout the civilized world. But in order to do that, we must learn the signs we should look for, and to do that we must root out the cause of this tragedy. Go to Kirkwall, and find the cause so that we may guard against it. If there is intelligence behind this act snuff it out. Go now, and leave no stone unturned." She turned back to the courtyard, as the Seekers bowed slightly, and left the Chantry. Ulrich resolved there and then that, despite his ever waning faith in the Divine, he would not fail.

**Val Royeaux: Dockyard**

The sun was reaching its zenith as Ulrich and Nyssa reached the docks. Ulrich was about to find the harbormaster to requisition a ship to Kirkwall when he spotted a man a year or two younger than him, with short brown hair, and hazel eyes. The medium armor was a charcoal color with a gold lined pauldron, a tan under coat, blue pants, knee high leather boots, and was carrying a large duffle bag on his back with a sword and shield tethered to it. The man had noticed Ulrich and began walking over to him.

"Ulrich, Nyssa," the man stated jovially as he spread his arms, "here to see me off?"

"We had no idea you were leaving town, Ari, we're actually here to leave as well," Ulrich returned.

"We got a new mission, and are here to get a ship," Nyssa said shaking Ari's hand, "Ser Chaundilore, where are you off to?"

"Kirkwall. Some Duke got killed and we're going to collect any sensitive information he might have laying around," he said, "and possibly take care of the one responsible, if we can find out who he is, and find him."

"What a coincidence, we also happen to be going to Kirkwall, for different reasons," Ulrich remarked, "mind if we stow aboard?"

"Well, since you asked-"

"Who's asking? Now where's the ship?" Ulrich interrupted. Ari scratched his and had a befuddled look on his face.

"Um… I don't think the Comtess is," Ulrich scowled harder at Ari, "Er… Right the ship is, uh, this way," Ari said shakily, pointing behind him. The trio then walked down the docks toward the ship Ulrich had bartered passage on.

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><p><strong>And another down, its rather short but not much is happaning so I didn't want to take 10,000 words just to say he's going of to Kirkwall. I'll try to make longer chapters with more action<strong>


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